Guitar Tricks presents Message In A Pedal: How to Get Andy Summers' Signature Sound

(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!)

Message in a Pedal: How to Get Andy Summers’ Signature Sound

By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons.

Andy Summers joined The Police in 1977, and quickly catapulted the group to international superstardom. With hits like “Every Breath You Take”, “Message in a Bottle” and “Roxanne”, Andy Summers carved out his signature soaring guitar tone – a perfect complement to the intensity of Sting’s basslines and Stewart Copeland’s bombastic rhythms. His tonal complexity has inspired countless guitarists, who struggle to match his unique sound.

What makes Andy Summers’ tone so captivating is the number of atmospheric effects he is able to layer while still achieving pristine clarity and presence in his guitar chords and solos. Somehow, every note he plays is crisp and punchy – and also drenched in intensity and color. Not quite the beginner guitar songs you should start learning right away. Spoiler alert: many effects pedals are used in the sculpting of his sound!

Of course, his guitar and amp preferences contribute to his tone just as considerably. Let’s dive into how to achieve Andy Summers’ signature sound, beginning first with his guitar.

THE AXE

It’s no secret that Andy Summers has a preference for Fender Telecasters. His favorite Tele – a 1963 Telecaster Custom – is modified with a Gibson PAF humbucker pickup in the neck position and an active onboard preamp. This allows Summers to get the “best of both worlds”, tonally speaking, granting him access to the shimmery sparkle of a Tele bridge pickup as well as the girth of a booming Gibson humbucker. The onboard preamp has a simple on/off switch, allowing for a clean boost when needed. For extra body, Summers uses 12-gauge strings on all of his electrics. While Summers plays his 63’ Telecaster at virtually every live performance, he also has a stable of Stratocasters, Gibson ES-335s, and even classical guitars for studio use.

Bottom Line: Grab a Telecaster if you have one, or a Strat if you don’t. For extra credit, have a trusted tech install a humbucker in the neck position. For bonus points – make it a Gibson PAF humbucker!

THE AMP

Andy Summers keeps it simple when it comes to amplification. He prefers an amp that is loud, clean and trustworthy – a sonic sandbox for his family of effects pedals. He is best known for playing through a Marshall Stack or Roland Jazz Chorus combo, but got his start with a Fender Twin.

Bottom Line: If you have a Marshall JMP or Plexi head and a Marshall cab, fire it up! However, a simple tube or solid-state amp with a pristine clean channel will serve you just fine.

AND NOW…THE PEDALS!

Here’s where we get down to the nitty gritty. Andy Summers’ signature sound relies heavily on his specific arsenal of effects pedals. Unlike his heavily-distorted contemporaries, Summers has a preference for atmospheric effect pedals, like flanger, chorus, phaser and delay. While he often uses many pedals simultaneously, he is careful not to over-saturate with any single effect. Let’s take a look at the effects pedals Andy Summers uses to achieve his iconic tone.

(Note: These pedals are listed in their recommended signal chain order)

Flanger: Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

This is a very unique Flanger pedal that is not easily copied. The three adjustment knobs, Color (which is the intensity of the filter effect), Range (depth of oscillation) and Rate (speed of oscillation), can be endlessly manipulated to accomplish a wide range of emotive qualities. Typically, he sets each knob quite low. This dreamy effect is used by Summers on many famous studio recordings by The Police, including “Roxanne” and “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”.

Phaser: MXR Phase 90

Andy Summers likes MXR pedals, and his favorite phaser is the MXR Phase 90. This effect can be heard on “Message in a Bottle”, where the pedal is used throughout (the single speed knob set halfway).

Distortion: MXR Distortion +

With his MXR Distortion +, Summers keeps the gain and volume knobs low, with the tone knob slightly bumped. The result is a distortion that “bites” but doesn’t “crunch”. You can approach this tone with almost any overdrive or distortion pedal with some delicate dialing-in.

Chorus: BOSS CE-2 Chorus

Another effect pedal that Summers uses constantly, but carefully, is the BOSS CE-2 Chorus. Keep it on, but keep the rate and depth all the way down. This provides the glittery majesty that is “felt more than heard” in Summers’ rhythm playing.

Delay: Maestro Echoplex Tape Delay

Another classic workhorse – the Maestro Echoplex Tape Delay – is clutch in replicating some of Andy Summers’ most iconic sounds. Again, while this effect is used often, there is care and precision when dialing it in. For example, in “Synchronicity II”, Summers uses a short echo setting (typically set to a single repeat) for fast decay, and matches the tune’s tempo in eighth notes.

Reverb: BOSS RV-6 Reverb

The BOSS RV-6 Reverb is a deliciously diverse reverb pedal, allowing Summers to select from several types of common reverb models (such as Room, Hall, Spring, Plate, etc.). The RV-6 also boasts a Shimmer setting (which targets high frequencies), a Dynamic setting (which is superbly responsive), as well as a delay feature. Typically, Summers prefers the Plate Reverb setting, with the tone and time knobs set low.

Compressor: MXR Dyna Comp

Finally, a pedal Andy turns ALL THE WAY UP! Well, at least sometimes. The MXR Dyna Comp dynamic compressor has only two knobs, Output and Sensitivity, and Andy will often crank the Sensitivity all the way up, and adjust the Output accordingly. Having this classic compressor at the end of his chain helps Summers “reign in” his many effects and also enrich his presence and sustain.

Bottom Line: Andy Summers uses many guitar pedals to achieve his signature tone, but he dials each in carefully. When in doubt, begin with the knobs all the way down and raise slowly until you arrive at the desired amount of saturation.

And there you have it! All of the tonal ingredients you need to recreate Andy Summer’s signature sound. A classic Tele, a standard amp, and a pedalboard filled with a multitude of delicately-dialed atmospheric effects.

Once you achieve this iconic tone, you’ll be singing “Can’t Stand Losing You”!

____________________

Affiliate Links:
Sweetwater – https://bit.ly/3rGiLeA
Perfect Circuit – https://bit.ly/3pHpS6P
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3FN04Mq